Court fight launched for man who bagged WorkChoices

The textiles union has begun legal action to stop a Wangaratta-based company from sacking a worker who criticised the federal WorkChoices legislation.

Bruck Textiles employee and union delegate, Maurie Mahoney, wrote to his local newspaper saying WorkChoices is denying his wife and other company workers a fair wage.

The union says he has since faced disciplinary action at Bruck Textiles, which could result in his dismissal.

Today, the textiles union asked for a Federal Court injunction to stop the company's action against Mr Mahoney.

The union's Michele O'Neil says the company is arguing Mr Mahoney has breached his employment conditions.

"Now that's a shocking thing in 2007 that he's just exercising his basic democratic right to have his view heard in the local community," she said.

"I mean what is it saying about the sort of laws that we have that a worker that just wants to stand up and get a better deal for the members and workers in his workplace is treated like this," she said.

"He's a hard working textile worker, lives in regional Victoria, all he's done is write a letter to the paper saying how can this company use WorkChoices to ensure that some workers at Bruck are actually paid below the fair pay and condition standards," she said.

The Federal Government says no worker should fear that their job is under threat simply from writing to a newspaper.

A spokesman for the Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey says his office has asked the Workplace Ombudsman to monitor the case.

Victoria's laws for disclosing political donations have long been criticised as among the weakest in the nation, but Premier Daniel Andrews says his proposed reforms will make the state's donations laws "the strictest donation laws in the country".